Flexible index strips in sheet form



a f 4% .N ||UIL LLLLLLW 1957 H. Y. KAIGHIN FLEXIBLE INDEX STRIPS IN SHEET EORM Filed July 27, 1954 hfi ivenzvp ,Q twy, o mwncls @5445.

FLEXELE INDEX STRIPS IN SHEET FORM Hall Young Kaighin, New York, N. Y., assignor to Acme Visible Records, Inc., Crozet, Va., a corporation of Delaware Application July 27, 1954, Serial No. 445,962

1 Claim. (Cl. 281-43) This invention relates to flexible index strips in sheet form for use with visible index and record equipment.

Flexible index strips in continuous sheet form have heretofore comprised a thin. layer of wood veneer faced on both surfaces with sheet material, such as paper or fabric, the composite sheet being cut or scored transversely along one surface to form a plurality of hingedly interconnected strips adapted to be inserted into a typewriter to receive typed impressions. After the desired data has been typed onto the sheet of strips, the strips are manually separated from each other for mounting upon the frame or panel of a visible index or record device.

An object of the present invention resides in the'provision of a sheet of flexible index strips which is less expensive to manufacture than the composite strip structure heretofore mentioned.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a sheet of index strips in which the thickness of the sheet may be materially reduced to facilitate insertion of same in a typewriter and mounting of the strips in a frame or panel.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a sheet of flexible index strips in which the strips may be manually separated to present smooth side edges, free of fuzz or irregularities.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a sheet of flexible index strips, which is impervious to water, insects, fungus, and other conditions which prove detrimental to sheet material such as wood and paper.

The invention embodies other novel features, details of construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter set forth in the specification and claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevational view illustrating a sheet of flexible index strips embodying features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a strip after separation from the sheet of strips.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view illustrating the manner in which the several individual strips are mounted upon a conventional frame of the type employed in visible index and record devices.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, the flexible record or index strips in sheet form are shown as comprising a single sheet 6 of, for example, opaque cellulose acetate having the front surface 7 thereof formed with spaced parallel transverse cuts or slits 8 extending part way through the thickness of the sheet to define a sheet of hingedly connected flexible strips 9 of uniform width.

The sheet 6 may be formed from any suitable nonfibrous plastic material, such as white opaque cellulose acetate, provided with a matte finish on both surfaces and having a thickness of, for example, from .015 to .020

break along the hinge junctures formed by the cuts 8.

It will be understood that the thickness of the sheet material at the juncture between adjacent strips 9 is determined by the type of nonfibrous plastic material employed. However, the junctures between adjacent strips should not break during normal use of the sheet in typing data thereon, but should break readily by bending adjacent strips into back-to-back relationship to provide individual strips having smooth side edges suitable for side-by-side abutting engagement with a visible record frame 11.

The record frame 11, illustrated in Fig. 4, is of conventional construction, comprising a flat panel P provided with channel members CC along its side edges to receive the ends of the record strips 9. In mounting the strips '9 in a frame 11, the strips are bowed intermediate. their ends to shorten the distance between their ends; after which, the strips must have sutiicient resiliency to return to their normal, flat condition for flush engagement against the panel P with their ends engaged in the channel members O-C.

As shown and described in Patent 2,385,082, granted September 18, 1945, to H. J. Hopkins, the cutters employed in cutting conventional laminated sheets of record strips tend to compress the material and thus form rounded edges along the sides of the strips, such edges being coated with a coloring material visible from the face of a strip or a sheet of strips. 7

In cutting sheets of nonfibrous plastic material, such as cellulose acetate, the material along the edges of a strip is pressed outwardly beyond the front face thereof in the form of ridges 12 visible to the user in typing data onto a sheet of strips, such ridges being useful to the typist in aligning the sheet of record strips in a typewriter.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.

I claim:

A thin, flat, flexible single-thickness sheet of homogeneous composition throughout its thickness consisting of whitenonfibrous plastic material, one surface of said sheet having a matte finish adapted to receive typed ink impressions, said sheet being formed with parallel longitudinally spaced transverse slits of limited depth opening to said surface only defining a plurality of hingedly connected elongated strips separable from each other re sponsive to pivotal movement of one strip into back-toback engagement with its adjacent strip, each strip including forwardly projecting ridges on its longitudinal defining edges, said strips jointly and severally being sufficiently resilient to return from a bowed to a. flat condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,407,239 Weiss Feb. 21, 1922 1,937,858 Taber Dec. 5, 1933 2,385,082 Hopkins Sept. 18, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 529,818' fire-at Britain Nov. 28, 1940 

